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HomeMy WebLinkAboutmin brd of selectmen 02/21/01 . . Present: RECEIVED TOWN CLERKS OFFrCE o I MAR - r AM 9: 40 February 21, 2001 M MA iANSFIELD Chairman David W. McCarter; Clerk Bradford E. ~~~ C51eYtð~¡~ Louis P. Amoruso, Amos M. Robinson, and Daniel Donovan. John O. D'Agostino, Town Manager Board of Selectmen Minutes of r" The meeting was called to order at 7:30 p.m., followed by the Pledge of Allegiance to the Flag. · Minutes of February 14, 2001 Motion : To approve (Amoruso-Donovan) 5-0 Passes {\ · Minutes of February 14, 2001 Executive Session Motion: To approve but not release (Amoruso-Donovan) 5-0 with Selectman Robinson abstaining on the portion where he was not present · Warrant No. 35 in the amount of $1,532,381.70 Motion : To approve (Amoruso-Donovan) 5-0 with Chairman McCarter abstaining from Municipal Building Committee payroll and Selectman Robinson abstaining from School Department payroll r · Memorandum from Town Accountant Bea Kearney requesting a decision to accept R. E. Brown & Company's (formerly Brown & Barrett) proposal for the 2001 Audit Ms. Kearney explained the new reporting regulations and also noted R. E Brown has provided excellent service during the first two years of their three year contract and she believes their price is also good. She noted that when a Request for Proposals (RFP) went out in 1994, we received responses from four firms, some of whom were higher in 1994 than R.E. Brown is charging now. The Town Manager noted there is a PILOT (payment in lieu of taxes) portion of the audit that includes an appraisal and recommended the sewer account become an enterprise account and also be Board of Selectmen Minutes of February 21, 2001 1 (' included. Ms. Kearney also noted our ability to track new fixed assets with our accounting package in anticipation of GASBY 34. Motion: To accept the recommendation of the Town Accountant and hire R. E. Brown & Company for the 2001 Audit at $24,000 - to be included in the FY'02 budget (Donovan- Wills) 5-0 Passes . Memorandum from DPW Director Lee Azinheira requesting the Selectmen as Water and Sewer Commissioners meet with him at 6:30 p.m. tomorrow prior to attending the meeting in Foxboro. . Memorandum from DPW Director Lee Azinheira updating the projected budget deficit at this time of approximately $31,681 for snow and ice removal Karl Clemmey, 750 South Main Street - asked if the Board would be allowing public comment on the commercial parking lot discussion. The Chairman said he would {\ The Planning Board was present to discuss concerns they have about the commercial parking lots. Representing the Planning Board were: Bernard Dolan, Thomas McShane, Scott Frank, Mark Cook, Kenneth Torman, and Roger Achille. r Mr. Dolan noted the Planning Board sent a memorandum to the Selectmen noting their concerns about the commercial parking lots, particularly in the south end of town. He pointed out the area is a "gateway" to town coming from Norton and they felt it should be looked at before issuing 2001 licenses. Of particular concern was the condition of the lots and the signage. It was noted that under the provisions of the Zoning By-Law temporary signs are allowed for only one year during the construction of a site. The Building Inspector issues the permit for the sign and is also the enforcement officer. Town Manager D'Agostino noted we should treat all signs equally and if temporary signs are not allowed under zoning, enforcement should be done townwide. Mr. Dolan noted their concern is not the temporary signs advertising a sale by businesses that have a permitted sign. Mr. McShane spoke of signs that are being termed "temporary" and are being used in place of a permitted sign. He noted the Planning Board felt it would be an appropriate topic of discussion prior to issuing a license for the new season. Mr. Dolan noted that if there are going to be regulations that are enforceable they have to be uniform. Board of Selectmen Minutes of February 21, 2001 2 , . (' Mr. Frank cited the provisions of Section 4.7.4 of the Zoning By-law covering temporary signs. Town Manager D'Agostino noted that in the case of the McNeeley lot, the sign really does not belong there as a temporary sign. Chairman McCarter noted the rules and regulations for parking lots would have to be amended to reference the zoning by-law. Mr. Dolan pointed out the regulations in NO.4 spell out the requirements and purpose of the sign. Chairman McCarter asked that staff review and draft an amendment, if they believe one is necessary, to address the situation. Clerk Wills agreed that the McNeeley lot is an eyesore and stated he thinks just a phone call asking them to remove the "temporary" sign may solve the problem. Mr. McShane noted the requirements should be in keeping with other landscaping regulations in place to protect the aesthetics of the town. The Town Manager noted the importance of not drafting something that is contradictory to our zoning. He stated that there is enough "meat" in the regulations to require they make the sign permanent. Clerk Wills asked if Mr. Ditchman, who operates a lot in the vicinity of the Train Station, could be assessed a portion of the cost of the police detail if other lot owners are required to provide a police detail for traffic generated by their lots. Mr. D'Agostino noted it is a possibility if it can be done within the guidelines of the r commercial parking lot regulations. Present from the Finance Committee were Andres Gazzolo, Dennis Grady, Charlene Lavin, Jim Lazzara, and Jeffrey Lang. Also present were Assistant Assessor Ed O'Neil, Treasurer/Collector Richard Boucher, and Town Accountant Bea Kearney. The proposed FY2002 budget was reviewed, with a $1.6 million deficit to be closed prior to Town Meeting. The Town Manager distributed the list of new positions proposed in the FY'02 budget, with some of them now eliminated. He started the review with new revenue amounting to $36,000 from Hercules for their share of the dump site assessment; Chapter 70 funds; Tweeter Center Administrative charge of $24,000 for public safety. Finance Committee Chairman Gazzolo asked that we first do an overview of the budget prior to getting into detail. He noted last year's good economy and the change in financial circumstances this year as a potential problem that may impact revenues. He suggested caution in continually adding to the operational budget. r Areas of concern are labor and salary at 80'0 of the budget, noting that anything put into the operational side of the budget will continue to grow over time. The Board of Selectmen Minutes of February 21, 2001 3 r Town Manager explained that over-projection in revenues were the result of SBAB reimbursements that cannot be counted on each year and should therefore not be included in revenue projections. Mr. Gazzolo reiterated his concern that a recession will impact revenue, with the State collecting less in taxes to provide aid to towns. Staff noted hotel taxes collected have not yet reflected a change in the economy, but may as time goes on. Overall revenue projections should be met for this year. It is the FY'02 budget that is short on revenue. Mr. Gazzolo suggested starting with the major budgets-Fire, Police and DPW. Mr. Grady noted year-to- date expenditures vs. projections for the current year, with encumbrances, would be helpful when working on next year's budget. Mr. Gazzolo asked that this information be provided on a quarterly basis. Selectman Robinson asked for clarification as to whether the $1.6 million deficit includes the cuts made by the Town Manager and presented earlier in the evening, and it does. It was noted that the School Department budget is $479,000 above projections and is included in the $1.6 million deficit. The next round of cuts will be made in the next week or so, with a meeting scheduled Monday with the School Department. We do not at this point have solid numbers from Southeastern Regional and are currently carrying a higher number than what we believe we will need. Chairman McCarter defended increases in the municipal side, noting we have grown as a town and the municipal side has taken a beating over the past couple of years to adequately fund the needs ¡--" of the schools. The population has increased and we are in need of additional public services. The Town Manager pointed out that clean-up sites, of which we are on our third, have been a major burden. We've also added field and recreation space without adding additional personnel to take care of them. Mr. Gazzolo pointed out the $700,000 plus needed for the charter schools that has been added to the town side of the budget. As we add new school space or new vehicles, it adds additional costs to our insurance budget. There is a $50,000 increase based just on the added square footage of the schools. Mr. Gazzolo said he believes for the last five years the Town's portion of the school expenses have increased by approximately 60'0. He suggested the two sides need to agree they have a duty to reduce expenses. He also suggested the revenue projections be reviewed in light of the five year expense projections. Selectman Amoruso said at some point the Board needs to prioritize, but we're not at that point yet. If after the staff and schools do their cuts and we have not reached the necessary reductions, the Selectmen will be in a position of having to set priorities based on the needs of the town. It was noted that meetings with department heads have not yet been held and there will be difficult choices to be made. Finance Committee Chairman Gazzolo requested the assistance of staff and the Selectmen in keeping the five year projections in mind when reviewing budget r requests. If revenues do not meet projections, additional cuts will be necessary. The reevaluation will take effect in the fall of 2002. We are also in the midst of a Board of Selectmen Minutes of February 21, 2001 4 r / conversion in the software program and the values should be out mid-August. It's anticipated that values will go up from 20'Yo in some neighborhoods to 30-35'Yo in others. This will become an issue with State aid in conjunction with Education Reform, based on our ability to pay. Clerk Wills asked if "Police Detail" is an appropriate item under the Selectmen's budget. Selectmen Robinson reviewed the history of the police detail, noting it was put in place due to the number of accidents and the threatened increase in insurance rating that would result in increased auto insurance premiums for all residents. Selectmen requested it be done based on public safety concerns and it became part of the Selectmen's budget. Town Manager D'Agostino noted the Police Management Report said that detail could be covered by on-duty police. He suggested we approach it on a zero- based budget principal, taking it out and having it covered by the Police Department based on the number of patrol officers assigned on any given shift. It would be done with the understanding that if there's an emergency and they're called away for a short period of time, we will be aware of it. Selectman Robinson suggested it be done on a temporary trial basis, noting that if there's an accident, then two patrol cars will be called to the scene. Mr. D'Agostino suggested transitioning to that change now and seeing how it works, noting if it doesn't we could restore the funds to the budget. Ways to make it work need to be looked at within the department to ensure that it does. Mr. Gazzolo said he will sit down with the Town Manager and continue working on the budget and asked to meet again with the Selectmen mid-March. r The Town Manager reported on the following: r . Spoke of having the Light Department provide a fly-over of the Town. He noted for GIS purposes it is now required to map out all stormwater piping in the town. The State is requiring it be reported in a GIS format and is providing approximately a 50'0 grant with zero percent interest to fund this. Town Meeting previously provided $20,000 to do a needs assessment for GIS. In order to complete the fly-over by early spring, we need to complete the RFP for the fly-over to get a "hard" number for the cost of the study. We can then consider the availability of funding by the Light Department, which is part of the GIS process. Chairman McCarter noted there is currently $9,000 included for aerial photography in the MIS budget. The Town Manager offered further explanation, noting his understanding that the portion paid for by the Light Department would be coming out of retained earnings. Selectman Robinson spoke of all the recent increases in electric rates and suggested the money be appropriated at Town Meeting rather than being paid for by the Light Department. The Town Manager Board of Selectmen Minutes of February 21, 2001 5 r noted his purpose in bringing up the matter tonight was he wanted the Board to be aware of the situation prior to going out for an RFP. The flight has to be booked soon in order to be done by early spring before the foliage is out on the trees. Selectman Amoruso suggested there's more that needs to be discussed than can be accomplished at tonight's meeting. The Town Manager stated he would like to get an RFP out tomorrow and get a hard number back soon. The fly-over would be anywhere between $9,000 and $25,000. Motion: To table until the Light Commissioners meeting (Donovan - Amoruso) 5-0 Passes · Advised the Selectmen of the site plan review meeting with GA TRA next Tuesday on the 100'0 design of the Train Station. He outlined the purpose and process of the site plan review. r · Provided Selectmen with a copy of the first round of budget cuts in balancing the budget. The cuts consisted of the proposed positions that have been eliminated. The second handout detailed FY'02 revenue projections vs. budget requests. The third handout consisted of FY'02 budget changes by department. Additional cuts will have to be made to bring us closer to eliminate the gap of the $1.6 million deficit. We will be looking at cutting another $500,000 plus. Water Enterprise account cut by $32,507 involving professional and technical printing and funding only preliminary designs to get us to the SRF (State Revolving Fund) loan program. · Reported on a meeting attended with Selectman Donovan sponsored by the Mass Municipal Managers Association for new selectmen. Packets of information were provided and there's an on-going program for participation and orientation of new selectmen. Selectman Amoruso noted he found it very worthwhile when he was elected to be given an opportunity to tour various departments and get to know people and how things work. Selectmen Donovan: · Asked about the GA TRA bus parking at the corner of Crocker Street and Mansfield Avenue that he brought up last week, noting they're still there. Town Manager D'Agostino said he wHl be writing a letter to GA TRA. Selectmen Amoruso noted we may need to take a look at this is the design plan, noting it was not an issue when the design was done and may become r- more of a problem with additional interest in commuter busses to the Train Station. Board of Selectmen Minutes of February 21,2001 6 r · Asked if there is anything new on the Foxboro agreement for payment of the sewerage charge; if there is anything further to report on the Morrison Well. Mr. D'Agostino noted the letter in the reading file from Michelle Drury and the need for further clarification. Clerk Wills: · Asked if we've found out anything about the Essex Street property. Mr. D'Agostino has sent a letter to the people who notified us indicating we'd like to sit down and talk with them. He also indicated that he does not believe they provided proper notification as required under Chapter 61. He also asked them if they are interested in discussing additional abutting land and will be exploring this further. Chairman McCarter: · Asked if there has been an investigation on the mailbox damage on Windchime Drive. All have been looked at and the determination was made the damage was caused by heavy snow and malicious destruction. r · Asked if the Hutchins field will be ready for spring. Both the East Street field and the synthetic field in back are being worked on aggressively and there will be sufficient fields available for spring sports. The Hutchins property does not have lights and will not be available for night use. Selectman Amoruso: · Asked if staff is working on a sewer extension policy to go along with the water connection policy. They will be, but are presently occupied with budget preparation. · Stated the need to review the parking regulations, noting there are two different types of open air parking lots-seasonal and year-round. The number of parking spaces allowed should also be reviewed. Selectman Robinson: · Asked if we've heard anything further on the school crossing guard. The School Department has asked for a police officer in the morning in that area and one has been provided He will be meeting further with School Superintendent Moretti and Police Chief O'Neill to review this. Selectman Robinson stated there needs to be one there in the afternoon also and requested the need be assessed further. r- Board of Selectmen Minutes of February 21, 2001 7 ... . r r r I . Asked if we've heard anything from MassHighway on their 50'0 design for Route 106. He noted his request for signalization and his offer to meet with them on site. Clerk Wills: . Reported that Jack Beliveau will be having a purchase and sales agreement drawn up for the other units next to the Light Department. Motion: To adjourn at 10:17 p.m. (Wills-Robinson) 5-0 Passes Board of Selectmen Minutes of February 21, 2001 8